


Morning That I Dread

by ambiguously



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Demonic Possession, Extra Treat, Gen, Minor Leia Organa/Han Solo, Weird Jedi Stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:54:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27053731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambiguously/pseuds/ambiguously
Summary: Han's been affected by a magical artifact, and Leia and Luke have to save him.
Relationships: Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker & Han Solo
Comments: 10
Kudos: 24
Collections: Trick or Treat Exchange 2020





	Morning That I Dread

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sincereously](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sincereously/gifts).



Luke inhales a deep, slow breath and takes a page out of the Jedi Guide For Dealing With Unusual Problems: he counts his blessings.

First, they're all still alive. Together and separately, they've survived too many situations where too many friends didn't walk out with them at the end. Alive, upright, still moving, still breathing, these are good circumstances. He takes a simple second and allows himself to appreciate that.

Second blessing: Leia's out here with him, not trapped on the other side of the force field with Han. Neither of them liked using her as bait, and she'd nearly not slipped outside in time. Here, they can work on a plan together, and he doesn't have to waste time controlling his terror that she's going to be hurt. He's having enough trouble controlling his worry over Han.

They have the controls for the force field on this side. Obvious blessing. They have access to the yawning corridors throughout this old ruin, its high ceilings looming in shadows far above them. In one of those rooms, they're sure to find the cache of ancients scrolls they came here for, and Luke is positive one or more of them will address Han's problem. That's not a blessing in hand, but one he'll appreciate now.

Ben isn't here. He's back home with Threepio and Elsie minding him. He won't see what's happened to his father, and won't be scared of him. Luke will call that a full handful of blessings in one.

"This isn't funny, guys," Han says. "Joke's over. Let me out."

The words are right. The tone is all wrong. Luke can sense the presence that took over Han the moment he touched the glimmering sphere that now sits forgotten on the broken tiles of the floor. Leia's powers are still growing, but she can sense the same thing. They can't set him loose until they've freed him of the controlling entity.

Han folds his arms. It's a Han gesture, almost enough to fool them. "I said I was sorry for picking up that shiny whatsit. Fine. Luke gets to touch all the shiny things first from now on." His eyes burn with intensity, and blink at an odd rhythm.

Leia offers him a careful smile. "I'll hold you to that. We said, we're going to an ancient ruin with unusual power readings. We said, we don't know what we're going to find here. We said, don't touch anything until Luke scans it."

Han holds up his arms and steps in a circle. "Scan me. I'm fine."

Leia looks at Luke, who has already run two scans. Whatever magical or mystical energy is inside their friend, it doesn't show up on the instrumentation they've got on hand.

The comlink sounds. Leia answers. "No, Chewie, stay put but be ready. We've run into a problem, and we might need you to come get us."

"Chewie!" Han shouts. "Get here, you big lug! These two have lost their nerf-sucking minds!" Leia snaps the comlink closed as fast as she can, but the worry on her face is doubled now. Who knows how much Chewbacca heard?

"I'll go look," Luke says. "Stay here with Han, and talk Chewie down if he comes."

"We should go together. What if you run into another one of those things?" She looks at her husband again, a lifetime of schooling her expressions unable to cover what she's feeling at this moment.

"Better that than run into Chewie in a bad mood. He'll listen to you more than he will me." Luke kisses her cheek, and gives Han another glance. This has to be reversible. Luke won't consider any other alternative. He heads down the nearest corridor, lightsaber close by, his torch searching the darkened rooms. He knew Han was hoping they'd find a little lost treasure along the way. He spent too much of his life desperate to scratch together two credits, and being married to a wealthy princess doesn't appear to be changing his habits as much as they'd like. Someday, he'll learn he's not one meal away from starvation, not one job away from poverty, not one loud-mouthed bad idea away from driving off the people who love him. Han will figure out he is safe, and secure, and cared for no matter what.

After Luke figures out what's wrong with him, and has Leia help him work the counterspell, anyway. And when Han finally gets his own blessings through his head, and accepts the good life he's living, and accepts the love of the people around him, that will be another blessing Luke can count.

It's not that hard to find. A little reaching out with the Force, a little luck, and a lot of trying not to listen to Chewie's irritated bellows echoing through the decrepit old hallways, and Luke is soon back with what he's almost sure is the right scroll.

"How do we fix this?" Leia asks, her jaw set.

Han says, "I don't like this idea. Love you both, but I'm not keen on you doing your little magic tricks on me. Chewie, tell them."

Chewie has gone quiet since his initial shouts. He turns between Han inside and the two of them outside, clearly torn.

Han sees this and presses, "I didn't want to say this, but I think they got taken over by some kind of Sith spirit thingy. We gotta get out of here, pal, and go get help before they unleash something nasty."

Luke tries to focus on the scroll, translating a language he only knows from other books. Leia says, "Chewie, we've got this. Han's going to be fine."

Han screams, clutching his head and doubling over in pain. Chewbacca is at the force field like a shot. Leia hurries to his side. "Han?"

"They're killing me!" Han shouts.

Chewbacca pushes past them to the controls. Luke drops the scroll and grabs his arm, which is about as useful as grabbing hold of a Star Destroyer's strut. Chewie shrugs him off. "You can't. The thing inside him will get loose!" Desperate, Luke grabs him with the Force.

Chewie says he doesn't have a choice, Han is dying in there. He has to help.

Leia grabs for the scroll. Luke feels her mind slide into his, digging through his recent memories for the words on the page. She speaks, wrapping her own powers around the working described on the page. Luke is too busy holding Chewie back to help.

Han screams again, but this is real, and it's not his voice. Something vulgar and thick pours out of his throat, the dark form outlined in an unwholesome light. As Leia keeps speaking, the light is pulled as if towards a black hole down to the floor, where the glittering prison it escaped from waits.

The creature is banished. Han collapses in a weak pile to the ground. Luke lets go of Chewbacca and opens the force field himself. Chewie growls a soft apology. "It's all right. You thought he was in pain. We'd have done the same."

Leia has already gone to Han, kneeling beside him. "Hey," she says in a worried voice. "How do you feel?"

Han groans. "Like I got sat on by a bantha. That thing was awful." His eyes flicker to hers, and he smiles with the old charm they all know so well, and all love him for. It's him. "Thanks."

Luke and Chewie join them, helping Han to his feet and crushing all together into a hug by Chewbacca's huge arms. Luke is squished next to Han's face. It'd be funny if he wasn't so relieved. He says, "Next time, let me handle the weird magical artifacts?"

"Any time, kid. Any time."


End file.
